Boston College researchers create a yolk-shell nanocrystal structure with a porous 'skin' that can filter molecules based on size or chemical makeup, allowing greater selectivity in chemical reactions. The new catalyst exhibits unprecedented control and precision, paving the way for expanded applications of heterogeneous catalysis.
The 2011 TIMSS and PIRLS assessments reported global student achievement in mathematics, science, and reading, with East Asian countries leading the way. The top-performing countries in each subject were identified, along with trends in achievement over time.
Boston College researcher Marc-Jan Gubbels is working on new drugs to prevent toxoplasmosis in cancer patients with weakened immune systems. The goal is to trap the parasite within cells and prevent it from attacking, which could lead to the development of more effective treatments with fewer side effects.
Researchers at Boston College have found that tiny ripples on a topological insulator's surface can modulate Dirac electrons into flowing pathways mirroring the surface topography. This modulation allows for control over electron flow, potentially leading to the creation of a one-dimensional quantum wire.
A $250,000 NSF grant will support the largest indoor hydroponic gardening initiative for youths in Boston's history. The program, led by Professor Michael Barnett, will teach 600 students about science, nutrition, and economics through soil-free gardening technology.
A recent field study in California cities found black carbon absorption enhancements of just 6 percent, suggesting that climate models may be overestimating warming by black carbon. The researchers' findings highlight the complexity of airborne particles and challenge existing projections about their impact on global and regional climate.
A recent study suggests that matching employees and customers based on their personalities can lead to improved service experiences. Empathic relationships between employees and customers are crucial for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Researchers at Boston College have successfully harnessed the power of sunlight to synthesize basic compounds of pain-killing drugs using silicon nanowires. The process offers high selectivity required to produce complex organic intermediaries, differing from earlier attempts to harness carbon dioxide with sunlight.
Boston College is expanding access to its proprietary MediaKron digital instruction platform to faculty at six other colleges and universities. The initiative allows for the creation of dynamic multi-media course content, providing a unique community of scholars in a digital space.
J. Elisenda Grigsby, a Boston College assistant professor, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award to study the properties of 3- and 4-dimensional spaces relevant to fields like information technology and DNA research.
The William E. Simon Foundation has gifted Boston College Law School with $1 million to boost its oral advocacy programs, providing students with invaluable hands-on experience in public speaking and argumentation. This gift will anchor the program for future generations of law students, building on decades of tradition and success.
Customers are using laptops, phones, and coffee cups to shield themselves from others in cafes, decreasing space turnover and discouraging other patrons. Cafes and coffee shops must now design space to accommodate different customers' needs and consider the impact of personal technology on face-to-face interactions.
Researchers at Boston College and MIT have developed a novel nanotech design that enhances the thermoelectric performance of Silicon Germanium alloy semiconductors. The breakthrough boosts electrical conductivity while reducing thermal conductivity, resulting in improved figure of merit values up to 1.3 at 900°C.
Four Boston College faculty members, Michelle Meyer, Ying Ran, Dunwei Wang, and Liane Young, have received the 2012 Sloan Research Fellowships for their groundbreaking research in various fields. The award recognizes their exceptional contributions to science and their potential to make significant impacts in the future.
A deadly Egyptian soccer riot has highlighted the need for sports teams to assess and prevent spectator rage, which can be triggered by emotional and environmental factors. Researchers suggest that screenings and monitoring of fans during events are critical in preventing incidents.
Researchers from Boston College have discovered a protein called DOC2.1 that plays a pivotal role in the progression of toxoplasmosis and malaria. The team found that the function of this protein could be genetically blocked, potentially leading to the development of new drugs that target it.
Researchers at Boston College and Northwestern University found that the more cohesive a group appears, the less likely it is that individuals will be held responsible for their own actions. This 'trade-off' in perception leads to assigning moral rights and responsibilities to groups, rather than individual members.
Researchers from Boston College and Brandeis University found that mosquitoes use TRPA1 channels to distinguish between heat and chemical odors. This discovery could lead to the development of solutions to target disease-spreading mosquitoes, reducing their ability to sense humans and transmit diseases.
A new report from Boston College and Duke University finds that girls are more devastated than boys when friends let them down. The study examined fourth- and fifth-grade children and found that girls interpreted friendship transgressions in a negative way, leading to increased anger and aggression.
A study published in Journal of Marketing Research found that credit card bill notes displaying the minimum required payment amount can reduce monthly payments by up to 24% for US and UK consumers. Increasing the minimum payment amount or disclosing future interest costs does not encourage larger payments.
Researchers at Boston College and MIT have developed a highly selective catalyst for ring-closing olefin metathesis, allowing the efficient synthesis of epothilone C and nakadomarin A, two potent anti-cancer agents. This breakthrough has major implications for the future of chemical synthesis.
Researchers discovered two previously overlooked stages of carbon nanotube growth, including a disorderly tangle of tube growth that yields to orderly rows. The discovery sheds light on the controlled growth phases and their purposes in producing aligned carbon nanotubes for various materials and biomedical research.
A study by Boston College researchers found that one-third of consumers experience rude treatment from employees once a month. This behavior leads to negative reactions, decreased customer loyalty, and lost profits. Training programs promoting employee civility can help prevent such incidents.
The study found that brain patterns from objects can be used to decipher scene patterns, providing a new insight into how the brain processes surroundings. This discovery could lead to improved treatment strategies for patients with brain injuries affecting scene recognition.
Researchers developed a small molecule receptor that can detect a lipid molecule revealing cellular death, particularly in cancer cells targeted by anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could enable oncologists to determine the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs in days rather than weeks.
A new study by Boston College and the University of Houston found that fine art in advertising can be demoted to a mere product illustration, leading consumers to take a critical view of its message. Art loses its unique powers of communication when viewed as an ordinary image.
Researchers at Boston College have developed a designer metamaterial that can engineer emitted 'blackbody' radiation with an efficiency beyond natural limits, opening doors for innovative energy harvesting applications. The material's ability to control emissivity could further enhance energy conversion efficiency.
Researchers from Boston College and Harvard analyzed Pollock's techniques, revealing his use of jets, drops, and sheets governed by fluid dynamics. The team described Pollock's physical technique in terms of paint load volume, viscosity, flow rates, and gravity.
Researchers discovered that antiferromagnetism and superconductivity can coexist in certain solids, contradicting previous theories. This finding provides crucial experimental evidence for understanding the interplay between various phases in high-temperature superconductors.
Researchers found carbon-based minerals in ancient Canadian rocks to be millions of years younger than the rock itself, questioning earlier timelines for biological life's emergence. The discovery suggests that carbon may have been introduced into the rock at a later stage, potentially altering our understanding of the Earth's evolution.
A study by Henrik Hagtvedt found that incomplete typeface logos can create interest and spark innovation perception, but also lead to unclear communication and untrustworthiness. The results suggest that firms should avoid such logos when trust is critical, but may be effective for promotion-focused consumers.
A study found that restaurants 'cherry pick' parties by size, quoting longer wait times to undesired customers. This practice benefits small parties that spend more per person, and makes economic sense when there's excess demand for large parties.
Boston College and MIT researchers created high-performance nanotech materials on a flat panel platform, demonstrating seven to eight times higher efficiency than previous solar thermoelectric generators. The innovation enables the simultaneous generation of hot water and electricity, potentially shortening payback time by one-third.
Boston College and MIT researchers developed a new catalytic chemical method to synthesize high-energy carbon-carbon double bonds, expanding the versatility of metal-based catalysts. The method uses molybdenum at its core to produce Z-selective cross metathesis reactions with unprecedented levels of reactivity and selectivity.
Researchers at Boston College developed Nanonets, a nano-scale lattice that coats tiny wires with iron oxide, enhancing surface area and conductivity. This enables efficient charge transport in water splitting, a process for harvesting hydrogen from water.
A team led by Boston College's Rebekah Levine Coley is studying the link between housing and child development in low-income families. The three-year project will analyze data from the Three-City Study to understand how housing influences children's physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development.
The team aims to create images revealing micro- and macroscopic matter with improved clarity, surpassing traditional microscopy resolution by 10-fold. This enables scientists to study living tissue in its natural state without sample manipulation.
The Boston College bioinformatics lab has created a detailed map of genomic structural variants, a layer of DNA that distinguishes individuals. This analysis of 185 human genomes supports the 1000 Genomes Project and provides new insights into genetic selection, variations, and disease susceptibility.
A report in the Journal of Service Research found that corporate social responsibility initiatives are ineffective against criticism and bad press, as consumers separate ethics from product quality issues. To combat negative information, firms must focus on service quality and prioritize customer outcomes.
A Boston College study found that Red Bull's brand identity affects consumers' behavior in video games, with some players speeding up and others crashing. The 'Red Bull effect' shows how non-conscious brand priming can shape consumer performance.
Research focuses on magnetism in three new classes of materials, including strange iridium oxide-based metals and topological insulators. The study aims to understand spin-orbit coupling effects in these materials for future energy transport and computing applications.
Researchers have developed a new method to improve the thermoelectric performance of p-type half-Heusler, a common bulk semiconductor compound, using nanotechnology. The approach resulted in a significant increase in the figure of merit, paving the way for cleaner energy products such as car exhaust systems and power plants.
Dunwei Wang, Boston College Assistant Professor of Chemistry, has received a $550,000 National Science Foundation Career Award to refine his nanonets technology for clean energy applications. His research focuses on extracting hydrogen from water using sunlight and aims to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of this process.
Consumers who purchase luxury items with unique design elements are more likely to experience aesthetic incongruity resolution, where they make additional purchases to match the item. This can lead to a larger financial expenditure than initially anticipated.
A high-resolution microarray has shed new light on Anopheles gambiae populations, revealing the genes that enable mosquitoes to adapt to insecticides and other preventive measures. This breakthrough provides powerful new insights into the genetics of malaria vectors, supporting public health efforts to contain and eliminate the disease.
Researchers have sequenced the genome of the Southern house mosquito, a key vector for diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitis, and elephantiasis. The study reveals insights into the mosquito's genetic structure and potential targets for disease prevention.
The study reveals that new media platforms empower customers as market players, influencing attitudes and behaviors. Companies must adapt marketing approaches to match the characteristics of these platforms.
A large-scale randomized experiment found that online professional development for teachers resulted in improved instructional practices and content knowledge, with modest gains in student performance. The study involved over 330 teachers and 7,000 students across 13 states.
The current standard of care for brain cancer triggers biological responses that may feed the disease, according to Boston College researchers. This can lead to an escalation of conditions favorable to tumor cell survival and growth.
A team of researchers at Boston College has developed a biosensor using carbon nanotubes that can detect minute amounts of proteins with high sensitivity. The sensor can distinguish between different varieties of the same protein and could potentially be used to diagnose diseases such as human papillomavirus.